Skeptical
by Charlion EM
Summary: Tygra is plagued by doubts as he attempts to reconcile his relationship with his brother. But when they are separated Tygra starts to realize his feelings towards Lion-O have shifted. Very slow building TxL.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Half way through something else and this popped up. I hate writing fics that happen in the middle of the season because I don't know whats going to happen in canon. Buuuut I'm sick of waiting for new episodes. My muse just thew this one at me** mid sex scene** in my _trek_ fiction (WTF MUSE)….I honestly don't know where it's going. I'm assuming some major Tygra angst and angsty romance with Lion-O.

This starts out slow. Like 2k words of no sex/romance LOL WUT. But, as big a fan of TygraxLionO as I am…I still want to rationalize it. So, This is _SLOW BUILDING_ TxL with lots of **ANGST **and _eventually_ **ROMANCE**

I have no beta, so mistakes = mine**.** Lemme know if you see something.

**2015 update: OMG! Stuff is happening! I'm working on this again :D I've spruced up this chapter a bit and will be updating with new chapters as time allows. I haaaate stories that start with a dream...idk why I did this, sorry...it was years ago!

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><p><em>He ran. Faster and faster. He dared not look backwards. He could hear it, feel it's breath at the nape of his neck. He ran past the throne room. No, that wasn't right. Why was he here? A quick left turn down another stone hall led him to a dead end. Too fast, it was going too fast. His breath came hard as he turned to face the opening of the hall, waiting for the inevitable. The lanterns on the walls went out one by one as a hulking shadow began its way towards him. <em>

_Not like this. He couldn't die like this. He had to save his brother. HIS BROTHER. Where was he? Why was he not here? _

_A dark rumble came from his pursuer. "Hehhaha." It stopped a few feet from him. "You have failed." The shadow shook with laughter. _

_Failed? What did he fail? Where was his brother? _

_"You failed. It is your fault." A shadowed arm reached for him, "You have always been a failure. The prince that shouldn't have been." He couldn't breath; when had the shadow put it's hand on his throat? "You couldn't even save your brother. The hand applied more pressure and he could feel himself growing weaker._

_Weaker…_

_Failure…_

_Weak…_

_Suddenly he shook, was that the monster's doing too? Pressure on his shoulders. Warm pressure. Another shake. _

_"Tygra!"_

With a gasp he opened his eyes, coughing roughly. He gingerly placed a hand around his throat, reassuring himself it had only a dream. With tremendous difficulty he slowed his breathing, he knew there was a certain amount of stoicism expected from him. Years of training made it easier to forget the dreadful fear the dream triggered. Tygra counted to ten before shifting his attention to the cat beside him.

"Thank you for waking me, Cheetara." If any of his companions were to witness his weakness, he was glad it was her. Cheetara's cleric training meant she would keep any secret pertaining to the royal family. Especially a moment of weakness.

She blinked at him, "No need to thank me. We've all had night terrors. Now, go back to sleep. Lion-O and Panthro should be back in the morning and we will need to begin our journey again."

Tygra nodded and laid back down on the soft grass. The sound of Kit and Kat's light snores drifted around their small camp. A grin crept onto his face as he recalled their indignant looks when he told them they couldn't go with Lion-O and Panthro. He suspected it had more to do with them being accustomed to sleeping in the thunder tank than truly wanting to make a supply run. After Lion-o's…excursion… at the previous town they encountered they decided to make any trips for supplies in pairs. Those trips would need to stop soon. It was understood they would need to live off the land more than they were currently. Too many appearances in towns could be dangerous.

The Prince shifted his weight. He didn't hear Cheetara, but suspected she went back to her post. It must have been a few hours since they switched watches. The prince shifted his weight again, trying to be as quiet as possible. He may be comfortable with Cheetara knowing he had a nightmare, but she couldn't know how much it had affected him.

He could feel his brother slowly pulling away from him. Lion-O was King now, he now had the one thing Tygra wanted most of all. The tiger did his best to protect his brother and to guide him through the responsibility he was far too young for. However, his efforts seemed to backfire. When they had passed near a town three days prior he insisted Lion-O stay behind.

_"You need to stay away from towns, brother. What if someone were to take the sword? Our whole quest would be for naught."_

_Lion-O became irate with him, still angry from a quarrel that morning. "Yes, because you would be better suited to carry the Sword of Omens- All I'll do is get into trouble and have someone steal it! I'm going with Panthro after we set up camp on that ridge." He turned to leave, "I may not be as talented as you, but I am NOT the helpless child you think I am."_

Tygra sighed at the memory. Lion-O and Panthro had left the next morning and he hadn't gotten a chance to apologize to his brother. Nothing he said to Lion-O came out right. Either the lion took it to mean the worst possible thing, or Tygra's competitiveness put an edge to his words. And that is where he always unsuccessful. Being a brother. He loved Lion-O dearly, but was never quite the big brother Lion-O deserved. He needed to try harder, he decided. When his brother came back they would have a talk, a real talk. Lion-O should know his older brother only sought to protect him.

Would he fail at a time they needed him most? Every moment of his life he strived for perfection. He demanded nothing less of himself. The perfect Thunderian Prince: Calm strength, elegant poise and a refined appearance. His mother demanded he set a good example for Lion-O, something he took to heart at the tender age of five. There was never room for failure. To fail a task meant admitting he wasn't a good prince. So, no. He would not fail at anything. All of his energy would go into protecting his brother and the rest of their ragtag group.

Cheetara watched as he slowly fell asleep, thankful no more night terrors troubled him.

Tygra was awake as soon as the first rays of light touched his face. He stretched across the dewy grass and pulled himself up. His muscles were sore from sleeping on the ground, but he ignored the discomfort. With no effort he found Cheetara perched on a tree branch that oversaw the small valley below. The Wily kittens still slept soundly next to each other. He would never admit just how fond he had grown of the little nuisances. He silently padded to where they slept and pulled their discarded blanket back over them. If anyone asked it was because the morning was chilly and the last thing they needed was sick kittens.

He nodded towards Cheetara as she jumped down from her perch. "I'll make breakfast."

Tygra shook his head, "I checked our supplies last night during my watch. There isn't enough for the four of us." He raked a claw through his mane, "You know as well as I that we need to start hunting more. I'm going to head out and try to catch…something." He had only went on a few hunts with his father and never had a chance to perfect the skills. But he wouldn't fail them.

Cheetara frowned, "Stay within sight of camp."

After an hour of hunting all he managed was two fribbots. But, it was enough to sustain them. Kit complained about not having seconds, to which he just raised an eyebrow. He was about to suggest the kittens join him in catching lunch when the distinctive sound of the thunder tank reached their ears.

"Yay! Lion-o's back!" The siblings ran to the edge of their camp and jumped up and down until the tank parked in front of them.

Tygra shook his head at their enthusiasm and went back to cleaning up their breakfast. The tank opened up and the kittens climbed up, asking if they brought back any sweets. Oh, how he wished he was a kid again. He frowned, he wished he had ever been a kid. As the adopted prince there was never any time for frivolous games Wily Kit and Kat played. Even Lion-O enjoyed games, something he had sought to put an end to. If his brother was going to be King, then he should need to spend twice the effort on being a good prince. Childish logic. But, it held true to an extent.

Panthro's deep voice brought him out of his musings. "Hey Tygra. Give me a hand with your brother." His back went ridged, what could have happened? Why wasn't he there to protect him? Panthro motioned to the back of the tank. "The tank has something going on with the exhaust, it will probably be a few hours till we can move out."

Tygra barley registered what Panthro said about the tank. He climbed into the tank and found Lion sitting in the back with Snarf fussing over him. His right arm, his sword arm, was bandaged and in a sling. And his left leg had a cast from his foot to his knee. He should have been there! "Lion-O, what did you do!"

His brother glared at him. Through gritted teeth he spat, " What did I do? Always you jump to conclusions. It is ALWAYS something your incompetent brother did." Lion-O pulled himself up, "Cheetara, can you give me a hand down?"

Tygra suppressed a growl, how could Lion-O be so brash. "Lion-O, what happened." I should have been there.

Cheetara helped Lion-O down and onto a log. "Here, let me get a look at the wounds."

The lion shook his head, "Thanks Cheetara, but I had them checked by a healer in town. My leg isn't as bad as it looks. Its still a little sore, but the bandages can come off tonight. The healer gave me some ointments to keep the scaring to a minimum."

Tygra bristled, "And your arm?"

Lion shrugged, " A few days probably. Its mostly superficial, but there is a small fracture. The healer said a week. But I think I'll be fine in a day or two."

"No. You leave the damn thing on for a week." Panthro stalked over. "Any less and you could do permanent damage. If you so much as THINK about taking it off you'll be on latrine duty for a month."

"But I'm King!" Lion-O mock pouted, earning a chuckle out of everyone but Tygra.

"Aye, and you're shaping up to be a fine one little cub." Panthro ruffled his mane affectionately and set back to his task of sorting their new supplies.

Tygra crossed his arms and leaned against the tree next to Lion-O with a sour expression. Cheetara took a seat next to Lion-O. "Kit, Kat, why don't you go help Panthro." Her tone made it clear it wasn't a suggestion. After they sulked away she turned to Lion-O, "What happened?" Her tone didn't hold any of the accusations Tyrgra's own had.

The young King sighed and ran his good hand through his mane. "On the way to town the tank had some issues over heating. Panthro said it was an easy fix, but we needed a part. We hid the tank and walked to town. We found the part no problem, but since we spent so much time already I suggested I stay behind and start gathering supplies while Panthro fixed the thunder tank."

How could be so foolish! "There's a reason we go in pairs, Lion-O! How could you be so short sighted!" Tygra threw his arms in the air, "You need to act like a King! You-"

"Shut UP." Lion-O stood so he could face his brother, Cheetara hovering in case he fell. "Shut the FUCK up- you selfish fucking TAIL!" Every one of his brother's muscles were tense as he shouted. He paused to collect his words. "Panthro left to repair the tank. I- I walked around the market district to try to find a map first." Tygra couldn't help but be impressed, he didn't think of asking them to get one. How could they plan their journey if they didn't know the land? Finding the town had just been luck on their part. "I'm glad I left my hood up and my sword hidden. I-" He drew a breath, " At the center of town I found two cats. I-They…They were being sold." He clenched his left fist. Cheetara gasp. "I waited until they were led away from the center of the market and ambushed their 'owners'. I must have waited a while because the next think I knew Panthro was back and helped me take down those thugs."

He walked right up to Tygra and threw his injured arm in front of his face. "The two cats we rescued led us to were a dozen others were to being kept until they were sold. That's how I was Injured. Protecting MY people. Freeing MY people." He turned his back to Tygra, " There are about twenty cats-that we learned of- living as we are, traveling and hiding. Probably more out there, somewhere. Our people survived- only to be hunted down by Mumm-ra and hunted by those we once repressed."

The tiger watched his brother stiffly return to the log and Cheetara lay a comforting hand on his shoulder. That should be was he did, he was the older brother, he should be comforting him not the cleric! Something stirred deep in his chest, but now was not the time to decipher the emotion. "Lion-O-"

"Not now Tygra." Lion-O scowled in his direction. "Help Panthro reorganize the supplies in the tank. I'm going to look over the map with Cheetara. After dinner we'll have a meeting to discuss the next course of action."

Tygra hesitated, trying to catch his brother's eyes. Pride swelled inside him, Lion-O was starting to act like a king. When it was clear Lion-O wasn't going to look at him he made his way to the tank, heart heavy. He would talk to Lion-O before dinner. Tygra needed him to understand. He needed the only family he had left.

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><p>R&amp;R I thrive on it. I have a few plot bunnies for this, just general things I KNOW will happen. But, I love suggestions ;)<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

A/N A little action in this chapter. I'm going to leave the rating at T, because there is only _mention_ of sex and no actual "acts". However-some topics are a little racy, and if anyone feels the rating should be raised then I will raise it. I'm hoping we can be realistic and mature :D

I don't know their real age difference, so I made it up. Four-five years seems good to me ;D Just enough for Tygra to be better at everything. Also, the flash back of them as kids seems to be 3-5 years. So meh. I'll fix it if we get any cannon.

This chapter is much longer. I actually moved the original end of this chapter to the beginning of the next one ;) Trust me, the story flows better that way.

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><p>Tygra made mental notes of their new supplies as he packed them with the rest of their supplies. Most of the food provisions were rice, beans and other things he suspected would hold for a long period with out spoiling. A few clean clothes, blankets and two tents. And hunting equipment. "These traps will be great, Panthro. I have to admit, shooting at fribbits with my gun wasn't my shining moment."<p>

"Yeah, should be nice eating fresh meat for once," Came Panthro's gruff reply from under the thunder tank. "Hey, Mind giving me a hand down here?"

Tygra jumped down, "Sure, I just finished organizing our supplies." He bent over the legs protruding from under the tank, "What can I help with?"

A clawed hand emerged, "Hand me a wrench." For the next few hours Tygra assisted Panthro however he could. It was a nice distraction from Lion-O for the first thirty minutes.

"You know, Tygra, your brother handled himself well." Tygra couldn't hold back a snort. If Lion-O had done well then he wouldn't be injured. Panthro continued, " He showed more restraint than normal and actually thought things through. Plus, he managed to keep his identity hidden." His hand appeared from under the tank, "15mm socket."

Tygra found the tool and handed it to the panther. "So, the cats you two freed have no idea who you two are?"

"They probably suspect, I'd think. My handsome face is pretty well known." He laughed at his own joke. "Lion-O didn't use the sword and kept his hood up, but they'll probably put two and two together. At the very least they'd think we're both from the army." He held his hand out and asked for another tool. "He's growing up Tygra. I can see you're struggling to let him, but he will be alright." Tygra didn't respond and just handed him the next tool asked for.

Was he really struggling with letting his little brother grow up? He didn't think that was it. He'd always pushed him to grow up faster, to be the best future king he could be. But now… now Lion-O _was _king. And Tygra was still _just _a prince. No, not just a prince. He wouldn't dwell on such thoughts. His focus needed to stay on Lion-O. How should he approach his brother? There was so much he'd done wrong, so much he wished he could erase. So many things he did to protect Lion-O, and for which Lion-O hated him for.

Their biggest fights always revolved around love interests. Tygra would always tease his brother, boasting about how many cats he had fawning over him. Lion-O had never been the best with the ladies, and he bathed in any affections sent his way. When Lion-O turned sixteen he had his first serious romantic interest. Tygra could still picture her perfectly. Aemele was her name. She was a noble cat Tygra's age, and he immediately became suspicious when she started showing interest in his much younger brother. Lion-O was oblivious as usual,; a gorgeous twenty year old cat was meowing at him and he was enthralled. Tygra kept his overprotective eye on the pair. One day he crossed paths with her talking to some of the other noble cats. Long story short, he discovered her only intention was to marry Lion-O, then sleep around with "better cats". She thought he would fall for her because of his naivety and propose with in the year. Lion-O was sixteen, and now of legal age. Thundarian custom dictated that once a royal was wed, there was no way to nullify it. There was a story in the history books about a King who divorced his wives after they started to age. He had about twenty wives during his rule. This lead to some national security nightmares: Hell hath no fury like a woman told she looks old.

Tygra knew such news would devastate his brother, and doubted Lion-O would believe him anyway. So he devised a plan to "steal" Aemele from him. She wasn't even his type, too frail and much to thin. Definitely not future queen material. Sex with her was amazing though. He almost laughed when she told him Lion-O hadn't made a move on her in the two months they had been dating. But he kept his game face on. He set up his ruse so Lion-O would find out, and he needed everything to line up.

Lion-O didn't talk to him for months. Tygra suspected Lion-O was behind the rash he had that summer. But eventually they reconciled. They always did. He never told Lion-O why he did it, nor did Lion-O ever bring it up. Aemele and her family kept to themselves after that.

If there was one thing he was missing the most right now, it was Thundara's abundant female population. Sure, Cheetara was attractive. Well, more than attractive. But Lion-O had made it clear to him the morning before he and Panthro left that she was off limits. He sighed. There was only so much a man could take. Sneaking off behind the bushes to "take care of himself" was nearly impossible while they traveled. Suddenly he had an idea. With Lion-O's injuries their travel would be hindered slightly, they may even stay in this area.

Well, it was at least worth asking. "Hey, Panthro. Can I ask you something?" If he was going to discus such things, he'd rather it be with the hardened warrior. He would know of such things from his long campaigns with the army and wouldn't judge.

"Yep. Just gimmi a sec….almost…GOT IT" There was a clunk. Panthro pulled himself out from under the tank. "That should fix 'er." He sat on the ground, leaning against the side of the tank and took a few big gulps of water. He looked at Tygra expectantly.

Tygra quickly made sure the others were not in hearing range. "I was wondering if there were any…er…brothels in the town you two went to." He felt a blush creep up, and couldn't look Panthro in the eye. Damnit, why was he blushing!

Panthro regarded him silently for a few moments. "There was. But, first, its not the kind of place you'd want to patron. From the way the rest of the town looked I wouldn't be surprised if the people in the brothel were slaves. And second, there is no way any cat is going to that town."

Tygra ran a hand over his face. Great. He was stuck in his current situation. He had heard of men who went crazy during wars from lack of physical release. Before he always laughed at such claims.

"During times of war, when we were far from home ,and farther from a warm bed, soldiers sometimes formed "warrior ties." Panthro didn't seem the least bit phased by the topic. "It wasn't discussed after we returned home. But it saved a lot of us from going mad- myself included." Tygra felt the panther's gaze on him and looked up from the leaf he was inspecting. "I would not be against such things again. It keeps us sane."

Tygra looked away. It made sense. Cheetara was off limits to him. The kittens were far to young. And Lion-O…Lion-O was his brother. He had to wonder if Panthro and Grune had…ties. The thought made him shudder. Having sex with someone who was plotting to destroy everything you stood for was nauseating. He briefly wondered if Grune's betrayal effected Panthro even deeper because of it. Tygra was not unfamiliar with having a male partner and the idea didn't repulse him. Same gender romances, while not forbidden in Thundara, were strongly discouraged. The cat's strength relied on the numbers of their army. Couples were encouraged to have children.

He recalled another love interest he took from Lion-O. All of his thoughts went back to Lion-O. It was about a year after Aemele. Lion-O was seventeen and was late for his duties. Again. Tygra was sent to retrieve his wayward brother and found him in the back of an apple grove. Lion-O wasn't alone, he was sucking face with someone. Tygra remembered being relieved his brother wasn't tinkering in his workshop. But when he made his presence known, and the two disengaged, he realized the cat in his brother's arms was male. Tygra himself had experimented, but it had been a one night stand. Not this…this…open display of affections. Lion-O was next in line for the thrown, he had certain responsibilities. One of which was producing an heir. He confronted Lion-O about it later that night. Tygra told him to end it. He regretted some of the things he said that night, he inferred Lion-O was unfit to be king. Lion-O begged Tygra not to tell their father, for surly Claudius would punish not only Lion-O but his lover as well. Tygra didn't relent, the future of the kingdom was more important than one cat's happiness. He regretted telling Lion-O that. All he wanted was for his brother to be happy, but the cost would have been too high had he continued that romance.

A dark grey hand in front of his face brings him out of his thoughts. They had really ran away from him. "Sorry, I was…"

Panthro smiles knowingly. "Its okay. Think on it a bit."

"No, I-" He was cut off.

"FEEEEEEEEEED USSSSSSS!" Kit and Kat are running towards them, "FOOOOOOOOOD!"

Panthro laughed, "We'll talk more later. Sounds like we'll have a full out revolt on our hands if the kids don't get some lunch."

The kittens halted in front of them, "What's for lunch? Lion-O and Cheetara went for a walk. They said they were going to gather berries." Tygra doubted that, with Lion-O's leg still bandaged he wouldn't be able to walk too far. He suspected the pair went off to have a private moment. He was not jealous. Still, was it really lunch time already? Maybe Lion-O had cooled off enough to talk to.

Panthro stood up and put a large paw on each of the kitten's shoulders. "Well, how about you two help me try out our new hunting equipment? We'll cook up whatever we catch."

Wily Kit and Wily Kat sulked. "We have to catch something?" "Can't we just eat something from our supplies?"

Tygra laughed, pushing his worries about Lion-O to the back of his mind. "We cant waste our provisions when we have the time to catch something fresh." They were still giving him kitten eyes. He mentally wiped a hand over his face. "Besides, nothing beats fresh meat. And Panthro brought back some spices, so we can have a grand feast!"

That news lightened their spirit's a little. Wily Kat's stomach lurched, "I don't think I cant wait that long."

Panthro laughed again and steered the kittens toward the fire pit. He turned and winked at Tygra and motioned for him to grab some bread. "I guess we can have a light lunch before we head out." Panthro took the bread Tygra handed him. "Then we'll have all afternoon to catch the perfect dinner." Tygra joined them for the meager lunch. The Wily Kittens pouted about having two small meals in a row, but the prospect of a large feast for dinner kept their hopes up.

He decided not to join them on their hunt, he hoped to catch Lion-O when he returned. Hopefully his "walk" with Cheetara would improve his mood. Reluctantly he had to admit Lion-O had first choice of prospective mates. To start with, he was King. And there was no heir. Even with their current quest to destroy Mumm-ra, Lion-O still had duties as ruler of Thundara. First of which would be securing the royal blood line. Tygra also owed it to his brother to not interfere with his love life. He had already taken enough liberties to protect his brother.

And how could he continue to protect Lion-O if they were always fighting? It was clear Lion-O was still furious from their argument from a few days ago. Tygra ground his teeth at his stupidity.

_Tygra watched as Lion-O leaned his head on Cheetra's shoulder. Silly little brother, she's a cleric, and clerics are sworn to protect the King and heirs. She wouldn't be so stupid as to risk being emotional compromised and unable to perform her task. After a few moments Cheetara left to help Panthro work on the thunder tank. The damn thing was always falling apart in some way. The kittens were still asleep on the other side of the camp. _

"_Lion-O." _

_He looked up at Tygra, stretching. "Yea?" _

_Careful to keep his voice low he began to reason with his brother. " Whatever is going on between you and Cheetara needs to end." _

_Lion-O tensed. "What are you talking about?" _

_How could he be so blind? "She is a cleric. Sworn to protect you. Romance should not be a factor between you two." _

_He could feel the shift in the lion's demeanor. Cold blue eyes bore into his, full of raw emotion. Anger, betrayal, and something Tygra could not name. Lion-O spoke slowly, each syllable enunciated with razor sharpness. "I suppose you think you'd make a better match for her?" _

_Tygra frowned, how had this conversation turned around so quickly? "Lion-O, she is off limits to me as well. I am your brother, and a prince of Thundara. She cannot-" _

"_There's were you're wrong." Tygra frowned, he didn't like where this conversation was going. "You are a prince, but not an heir. The clerics are pledged to protect the royal blood line, which you are not part of." That was a painful slap to the face. No, not a slap. More of a knife through his heart. How could his brother be so cruel? He doubted Lion-O knew just how affected he really was by that fact. He hid any anguish from his brother growing up-never told his brother of the torments he endured. But Lion-O wasn't done, he twisted he knife. "The clerics extended their protections to you out of respect for MY father." Why was he being so intentionally cruel? Did the only family he had left hate him that much? "Tygra, stop interfering with my life. You've already made it clear you're better than me in everything, including love. If I really want to pursue someone, don't you DARE meddle in my affairs." _

_Tygra was left speechless as Lion-O stalked off. All he wanted was to ensure his brother would be safe. Engaging in a romantic relationship with a cleric was reckless._

Tygra frowned at the memory. There was much he needed to discus with Lion-O. He needed the other cat to understand. He still didn't approve of Lion-O's relationship with the cleric, but he would support him in any decision he made. If it meant Tygra would have to fight harder then he would do so.

Lion-O was all he had left.

Perhaps Panthro's suggestion was something he should seriously consider. It would be a welcome distraction from constantly worrying about Lion-O. Panthro would be the only one of the group available to him anyway. Cheetara was being pursued by Lion-O. Lion-O was his brother, and the Wily kittens were far too young. He made a mental note to talk to the panther privately next time he had the chance. He had experience having sex with other males, but he himself had never been on the receiving end. There was a high chance he would be if he engaged in "warrior ties" with Panthro. He doubted the older, and larger cat, would take with out giving.

His thoughts were interrupted again by Lion-O and Cheetara coming back. By the looks of it they actually had gathered berries. The pair made their way to where Tygra sat. Lion-O grabbed some bread and stalked off to the log at the edge of camp. Cheetara shrugged and grabbed some bread herself and a smaller piece for a confused looking snarf.

Tygra decided now would be as good a time as any to approach his brother. The camp was quiet, and Cheetara wouldn't try to eavesdrop. He padded over to the Log Lion-O sat on and took a seat to the left of him. How should he approach this? A few minutes went by while Tygra tried to figure out how to bring up everything he wanted to say.

"Lion-O" He cringed at how weak his voice sounded.

Lion-O swallowed a bite of bread, staring straight ahead. "I said we would talk after dinner."

"Please talk to me."

Maybe it was the vulnerability in his voice that made Lion-O turn to look at him. Tygra could feel his stare, but could not bring himself to look the other cat in the eye. "Tygra, there isn't anything to talk about." He felt the lion's gaze move off of him.

"There is more to talk about than we have time for, Lion-O. I honestly don't even know where to begin."

"Then don't begin. I don't have the energy for another fight."

"I'm sorry." Tygra cringed. He was usually more elegant with words.

"For what exactly?" Lion-O didn't sound impressed, he almost sounded bored.

Tygra laid a hand over Lion-O's. He couldn't force himself to look at his brother, so he hoped he could convey enough through the simple touch. "I'm sorry I've been a lousy brother."

He felt Lion-O pull his hand away. Would nothing fix the rift between them? Was their relationship beyond repair? He had royally screwed up. His little brother hated him, and nothing would ever fix it.

Tygra nearly jumped out of his fur when he felt Lion-O's hand cover his and give a little squeeze. Yellow eyes met blue, and he felt himself relax for the first time in weeks. Maybe there was hope. The malice was gone from his brother's eyes, replaced with something he couldn't quite name. He could have sworn he'd seen that look before, but could not place it. It was almost as if Lion-O was unsure of something, perhaps he was apprehensive about reconciling with Tygra. He felt a smile begin to tug at his mouth, and flipped his hand over and squeezed back.

Before he could register what was happening the strange light in Lion-O's eyes was replaced by cold indifference ,the warm hand was ripped from his own and Lion-O was standing. "You don't respect me." Where had that come from? "You'd do anything to get ahead, anything to better your chances of winning. Even lie to me."

"That doesn't even make sense, Lion-O! What would I have to gain from lying to you?" Now he was standing too.

Lion-O bristled. "Nothing I do ever makes sense to you. To you I'll always be the little kid who couldn't beat you in anything."

"And what am I to you?" Diplomacy be damned. No one accused him of not caring for his brother, especially not the brother in question.

"You are nothing." Lion-O narrowed his eyes and stalked off. His bandage made a full storm off impossible, and it would have been almost comical had Tygra actually seen it. The tiger stood where he was, not seeing anything around him.

Nothing. The only family he had thought of him as nothing. Maybe he deserved it for all of the cruel things he had done to protect Lion-O from the world. He stood, rooted to the ground for what felt like ages.

"Tygra." Cheetara placed a hand on his arm, breaking the downward spiral of thoughts. He snapped his head towards her. "Come, sit with me."

He let her guide him back down to the log. A quick glance around revealed Lion-O was laying down by the thunder tank. "How…How can I protect him if he keeps pushing me away?" He threw his head into his hands. "Has he mentioned anything to you? I need to know how I can fix this."

Cheetara blinked at him and smiled warmly. "I can not betray Lion-O's confidence in me. The things he has told me are his to tell. Perhaps you should ask him."

"I know I've messed up, but I want to, no I NEED to, be there for him. I'm his brother Cheetara."

"Tygra, is that all? I cant help but feel there is more to this. You two have always been at odds with each other, so why the sudden interest in fixing it?

"I know. But things are different now. We are the only family the other has left. Father is dead. I'm trying to make amends with him but he wont let me."

She shifted uncomfortably. "I probably am saying too much but…Lion-O is…confused. He needs reassurance that you care. And not just because you're his brother. He needs to know you'd still care even if you weren't."

"Of course I'd still care if we weren't brothers! He'd still be my king."

Cheetara frowned. "That's not what I meant. I suggest talking to him and telling him exactly how you feel and what you need."

She smiled at him and headed back to the center of camp. Tygra watched as she cleaned and prepared the berries her and Lion-O picked. Movement caught his eye and he turned in time to see Lion-O slip behind the bushes that lead to the latrine. The latrine was close enough to be safe yet far enough away to be private. It would be a good place to corner Lion-O and attempt another conversation. He counted down a minute then headed through the bushes. At the half way point he stopped to wait. Disturbing his privacy wouldn't win him any brownie points.

Two minutes. Five minutes. Just how long did it take him to piss? What if something happened? What if the lizards found their camp? Or one of the slavers had followed them back? Lion-O could be in danger while he just stood here! Tygra silently made his way forward, careful not to alert any enemies that may be nearby.

He peered into the small clearing where they dug the latrine. At first he didn't see anything, or anyone. His hear gave a lurch. He failed to protect Lion-O! How could he- A muffled sound came from behind a tree to his left.

"Hnng"

Was Lion-O injured? No!

He quickly made his way towards the sound. Lion-O was leaning against a tree. He didn't seem injured. Thank the Great Roar! But then Tygra heard a muffled whimper escape from the lion. He leaned forward to get a better look around the tree.

What he saw shocked him. If he was being completely objective he would have called the other cat beautiful. His head lazed back against the tree's trunk, bottom lip between his small fangs, a slight blush showing through his pale fur. When Tygra felt his body begin to react on its own accord he snapped back to reality. Was he just enjoying the sight of his younger brother…touching himself… He filed it away under "things he would never tell Lion-O about."

Tygra backtracked to the front of the clearing. He gathered his wits and started walking back towards the tree. This time he knew there were no enemies that could hear him, and he made as much noise as he could. By the time he walked back to the tree, Lion-O was standing and was just finishing tying his trousers.

Playing it like he just stumbled across the lion Tygra looked him over and raised an eyebrow. "Sorry to interrupt."

Lion-O scowled, "Cant a guy get a little privacy?"

"Not when that guy is King and is a strange land full of people who want him dead."

Lion-O's eyes flashed dangerously. "So now I can't even wank without a babysitter?"

Tygra found himself unable to respond. He just blinked at the flushed cat in front of him.

"Do us both a favor and stop pretending so hard." He turned to leave.

"I told you I wanted to talk to you. I didn't get a chance to say what I needed to earlier."

"Fine, spit it out." Lion-O faced him again and crossed his good arm across his chest.

Tygra faltered, how did he say this? How could he put words to what he felt with out losing Lion-O's respect. He had to be the strong one, the independent big brother.

"That's what I thought." Lion-O uncrossed his arm and started to turn away.

Tygra grabbed Lion-O's arm to stop him. His voice was barley a whisper, "Lion-O, I need you."

The grip on Lion-O's arm was weak. If he wanted to leave then he wouldn't stop him. He felt blue eyes boring into him again. He didn't know if he could meet those eyes again, didn't know what his own would reveal. Would Lion-O see how brittle he was? Would Lion-O be laughing at his weakness? The need to know won out over self preservation. Lion-O's eyes bore into his own, and he saw the same emotion from before burning deep.

The lack of ridicule from the lion gave Tygra some nerve to continue. "I need you to stop pulling away from me. How can I protect you if you keep pushing me away?"

Lion-O suddenly ripped his arm away. "ARUGH. I don't need you to protect me!" Disgust flashed in the younger cat's eyes.

"But that's what brothers do, Lion-O."

He glared. "Well, MAYBE I don't want you by my side."

"Even if you don't want or need me, I'll be by your side."

Lion-O glared but softened slightly.

Tygra ran a hand through his mane. He needed Lion-O to understand. Maybe the nightmare was still effecting him, but he knew he had to reach Lion-O. "I don't want to start another argument, but-"

"Then don't say it." He turned to leave, "lets just end this conversation on neutral terms"

Tygra flinched when Lion-O bumped his shoulder against his. How had he failed so miserably? He glanced at the sky. He expected Panthro would be back shortly with their dinner. It wouldn't be a good idea to head back to camp in his current state. Without noticing he had begun pacing. Great, now he was losing control over his body. Apparently it wasn't only his legs. Months without physical contact must have been messing with his hormones more than he originally thought. Catching Lion-O pleasuring himself was only a coincidence and had nothing to do with his current state of arousal.

The tiger shrugged and sat down against the tree. Physical release would go a long way towards clearing his head and calming his frayed nerves. If he thought of Lion-O while doing it, well, then, it was because it was the only sexual image he'd had for months.

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><p>When he returned to camp he discovered Panthro and the kittens had already retuned with a large animal. Cheetara was showing the kittens how to properly prepare the meat. "Cant we just throw it on the fire?" "This is gross!"<p>

Panthro was entertaining Lion-O and snarf by the thunder tank.

There wasn't anything for him to do. No one needed him. Before his thoughts spiraled out of control again he called out to Cheetara. "I'm going to take a nap before dinner since I have first watch. Could you please wake me?"

"Sure thing Tygra."

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><p>AN: I ship TxL and PxC. See where this is going?<p>

Please _review? I need constant reassurances that this doesn't suck D: _


	3. Chapter 3

AN: Long Hiatus, but someone convinced me to start back up ;) All of my original notes and plots were lost with my laptop, so I am starting from scratch with what I remember. I will say I started writing this before they introduced Pumyra, so forgive the liberties I take with the story henceforth.

This chapter is short…I'm having trouble getting into the 'grove' again and don't want to strain myself and give you a longer chapter but have it be crap. Enjoy and, as always, please review 3

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><p>After dinner, the group began to plan their next course of action. The map Panthro and Lion-O brought back provided a good picture of the surrounding area. The small town where they acquired their supplies was to their West by several miles surrounded by mountains. To their East were several other small settlements that grew in size the further East they traced. As usual, there was a disagreement over their next move.<p>

Tygra glared across at Lion-O. The King's lack self-preservation made his stomach churn. "With your injuries it would be unwise to-".

"My injuries be damned! I can hold my own if it comes to it-".

"And it will 'come to it'!" Tygra was oblivious of his increasing volume. "You need to stop being so reckless! We should continue South, avoid _all_ the settlements and-".

"-And **_what_**- leave our people to suffer? You would have me run away?" Lion-O leaned closer to Tygra as his spat, "I am no coward!"

Panthro put a hand on each of their shoulders and forced them back to their seats. "Let's keep this civil". He turned toward Lion-O, "Your mobility is hindered with the leg brace. Even when it comes off you will still have limited use of your hand."

"But-"

"BUT- You are right- we can't leave those cats to their fate." Panthro sighed. "We could stay camped here, then, once you are well enough, attempt a rescue." Turning to Tygra he said, "And then we can move South."

Cheetara, who had been quietly listening, spoke up. "We can't stay here long. We risk being discovered the longer we linger. And by the time Lion-O is healed those slaves may not be here."

Tygra sighed. "Leaving the cats is a small price to pay to be able to live on. I do not say it lightly; however we need to think of the big picture."

"The big picture is: there is no point in stopping Mum-Ra if we have no people left. We should focus on rebuilding Thundara's numbers, try to…-to- to help people." Lion-O sighed and ran a hand through his mane.

Panthro interjected before Tygra could. "Let's think more short term. We will move our camp here," He pointed to a spot slightly more Southwest. "We let Lion-O heal up for a week, move camp around every other day." Tygra moved to argue but Panthro held up a hand and stared at Tygra. "Until Lion-O is healed we should stick close to one of the cities in case he needs any more medical care."

Tygra couldn't argue the logic and conceded with a bowed head.

Cheetara folded up the map. "We will move at first light. Tygra has first watch, I'll take second." Everyone nodded in agreement.

Tygra stalked off towards the edge of camp and took his post, leaning against a tree. The sun had set hours ago and the kittens were already asleep. He could hear the others getting their sleeping gear out and it was not long until her could hear Panthro's snores coming from the tank. After about thirty minutes, he decided to walk the perimeter of their camp.

When he returned to his post, he found Lion-O leaning against the tree. The lion's stance was stiff. His arms were crossed and his face was bowed away. Tygra hesitated; he did not have the energy for another argument. He looked at the camp to ensure everyone was still sleeping. Panthro's snores were loud as ever and the kittens were still inside the tank. Cheetara was laying on the ground a few feet from the remains of their fire- but he could not be sure if she was asleep or not.

He made his way to where Lion-O stood and waited for him to speak. The silence stretched on. Tygra sighed, "Lion-O".

Lion-O straightened, but didn't look at him. "We need to talk."

Tygra sighed again, now he wanted to talk- when he should be sleeping. "Lets walk away from camp," he whispered, "we don't want to disturb them."

The only acknowledgement he received was Lion-O walking away from the camp. Tygra followed him silently. A few yards past their latrines, he grabbed Lion-O's arm. "This is far enough."

Lion-O pulled his arm away and growled, but said nothing.

"You should get some sleep. We can discuss the plan in the morning." Tygra was sure the plan was not what Lion-O wanted to talk about, but the silence was getting to him. When Lion-o did not respond, he continued. "I know you want to do what _you_ think is best for our people. But my duty is to protect you, our King. You are thinking in the short term. It is time you grew up and accepted your role. A king must think of the good of everyone- not just a few."

Lion-O's voice was weak, "What if those few _are_ everyone?" He still faced away from Tygra. "I won't put my safety over theirs."

"Stop being such a fool! You have always rushed into things without thinking. And it always turns out the same. I'm left picking up the mess you made AND solving the original problem. Just take my advice for once! Grow up!" Tygra realized he was shouting and panted.

Lion-O was facing away from him still, but now his left fist was balled, his nails digging in.

"You cant-" Tygra sighed. "There is no use, is there? You will always rely on me to clean up after you. You are too prideful to admit you are wrong, and will continue with your damn heroic rescue even if it kills you!" How could Lion-O not see how much he just wanted him to be safe?

Lion-O mumbled something.

"What was that?"

Lion-O said something again, but Tygra could still not hear.

He took a step towards Lion-O, closing the gap that was between them.

"What did you-"

Lion-O spun around and punched at Tygra with his left fist. The force wasn't enough to make him stagger back, but he caught Tygra in the jaw. Tygra rubbed his face, dazed at the surprise blow.

Lion-O stared Tygra in the eye, illuminated by the moon. His voice level and calm, "I said- 'I hate you.'"

Tygra felt the words knock into him harder than any punch he had ever received. Hate? Lion-O…hated him? He couldn't really mean that…could he? "Lion-O…"

"Don't." He looked away. "I've wanted to say that for so long." He let out a humorless laugh. "I thought it was just the stress of everything that has happened at first. I thought I could fix it. But I've finally realized…" He shook his head. "You don't care. I know. But It feels good to say it." He walked back towards camp without looking at Tygra.

After a few minutes Tygra started to feel the numbness subside. He couldn't think. He walked the perimeter of the camp a few more times before Cheetara relieved him for her turn at the watch. He didn't notice she was a few hours early.

The ground under his back was hard as he stared, unseeing, at the night sky. Tygra blinked, wondering where he went wrong. How could he fix this? How could he protect Lion-O now? The thoughts raced around, everything and nothing all at the same time. He laid there for hours until sleep claimed him.

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><p>AN: A little short, but…<br>I figure…you have to tear something down to be able to build something new. That's my lego logic (I don't have many legos)

I'm going to fix up some errors in the previous two chapters. Re-read them and saw some issues haha. If you see something tell me 3


	4. Chapter 4

An: wrote this chapter on my phone...my poor thumbs! ... Thank you so much for reading! Please excuse any mistakes and please point them out :)

Some more angst, but soon... Haha.

Yes or no to a full Tygra/Panthro lemon? Read the chapter and let me know.

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><p>The next morning the crew moved their camp slightly south. The tension between Tygra and Lion-O was obvious to everyone and even the kittens kept quiet. Tygra volunteered to clean up the site after the tank left then walk to the new site they agreed on. He still had not arrived to the new site, but Cheetara expected him back shortly.<p>

The cleric directed the kittens to set up a fire pit while Panthro hid the tank under some brush. Lion-O sat on the far side of camp and organized their hunting gear into packs for each of them. With the others busy, she took her chance to talk to him privately. He did not look up when Cheetara approached.

"Lion-O, are you alright?" She sat down next to him on the soft grass. "I heard you two arguing again last night..." She wasn't going to coddle them, their situation was too dire. Her job was to protect the two Royal cats, even if it was from each other.

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Too bad. I need to know if we can count on both of you. We are being hunted- or had you forgotten? My duty is to protect both of you; if your feuding will inhibit our progress I need to know so I can adjust our strategies."

"You are wrong." He put a finished hunting pack to the side and picked up the next. "Your duty as a cleric is to protect the Royal family. I am the only one left."

Cheetara frowned. She knew what he meant, but she needed him to say it. "But Tygra is your brother. I am -"

"No. He is not. He never was." Lion-O threw the last pack into the pile. "You are right though: our inability to 'get along' will hinder our progress." He stood and carried the six packs toward the tank.

Cheetara sighed. That was not how she wanted that conversation to go. She stood and turned to walk the perimeter of the new camp and locked eyes with Tygra.

He must have just returned, and from the hollow look he gave her, he had heard everything.

She opened her mouth to say something to him, but could not think of anything to say. Tygra took an unsteady breath and nodded to her. "The old site is cleared. What needs to be done here?"

"...could you and Panthro walk to the stream and refill our water skins?" That should give her time to figure out a solution.

Tygra nodded again and made his way to Panthro. Cheetara watched as the two cats gathered the empty skins and disappeared into the trees. She figured that gave her 30 minutes to figure out a solution.

She sighed and began to walk the area around their camp. The two were always at odds. She watched them grow up. Tygra always had been hard on Lion-O. From etiquette to swordsmanship, Tygra pushed him to be the best. He went about it in the wrong way, but she was positive Tygra's pushing was done out of love. Sure, she observed his jealous stares when Lion-O did duties only the crowned prince could. Yet she never saw him be outright cruel to the younger prince.

Since the destruction of their home, Tygra put Lion-O first; above himself. He accused Lion-O of having no self-preservation, but Tygra had taken multiple blows to protect him. When they were younger, she had seen Tygra protect Lion-O from the wiles of a noble cat that seeked only the crown. She did not agree with his methods, but couldn't deny she was glad he had intervened.

...Then there was the strange conversation she and Lion-O had the previous day. He expressed his confusion over Tygra, and wanted her guidance. She replayed the conversation over and over now. Had he been trying to tell her he thought Tygra wasn't his brother? It didn't seem like it. His new declaration left her more confused...

* * *

><p>Panthro, Tygra discovered, was oblivious to the seriousness of his and Lion-O's fight. He couldn't decide if he was glad or not. The cat joked about how "brothers fight over silly things" and told a story about how his older brother once chased him for miles when Panthro put itching powder in his bed sheets. It only his and Lion-O's fighting was so mundane.<p>

He couldn't wrap his head around Lion-O's words. Not...brothers? Definitely not friends...then what?

"Hey sour puss, give me a hand". Panthro flung an empty skin at him, which he caught with his face.

He growled and bent down to the stream to fill it. He was so lost in his thoughts he had not realized they arrived.

Panthro filled the rest while he stared at the one he had, lost in thought.

"Alright?"

"Sorry, just thinking...having trouble concentrating."

Panthro gave him a knowing smile. "Its fine- like I said yesterday, take as much time as you need." Oh! Panthro thought he was still deciding about...oh. "But really, sooner is better...ya know?"

Oh! Tygra felt himself blush. Damn, he hadn't given it any thought at all. Release would be good though...but..."I can't, not with all of this fighting with Lion-O weighing on me."

Panthro laughed, "Sex is a great way to clear ya head." He frowned, "if you're worried about the others finding out I understand."

Urgh, one life altering problem at once. But, what could it hurt? Tygra added his water skin to the bag Panthro carried with them. He was taken slightly off guard by how open Panthro was about it. "It has been a while since...I've had a male partner."

Panthro nodded. "I'm surprised you have at all. But at least I don't have to explain anything to ya. Ha, there was this one lad-"

"I get it." The distraction was already working, but he dreaded going back to camp. It was getting dark, but maybe he could prolong this...

Tygra moved closer to Panthro and really looked at him. He wasn't what Tygra would consider traditionally handsome. He was alluring though, a warrior's body and rugged face. "Don't take this the wrong way, but you're not my usual type." He always preferred a more slender partner, male or female. Large muscles didn't turn him off, but didn't turn his head either.

Panthro laughed, "Yeah, I like mine with a set of boobs, but I think you'll do till then." Before Tygra could object, Panthro was kissing him. It wasn't gentle, but also wasn't too rough. It was Panthro, strong and gentle, and slightly demanding. Strong muscled arms held him and his body was definitely reacting. He ground his length against Panthro's thigh, seeking out contact he had been denied for so many months. He moaned when Panthro pulled out of the kiss.

Panthro Nuzzled his neck, "it is getting dark, we should get back to camp before they miss us."

Back to camp. That was a bucket of cold water. Tygra snapped out of Panthro's arms and rubbed his neck. "Yeah, so..."

"So, I'll volunteer us to hunt tomorrow morning." He winked.

Tygra nodded and they made their way back to camp. His heart was heavy thinking about seeing Lion-O.

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><p>sorry.<p> 


	5. Chapter 5

AN:

Just realized my breaks were not showing up...fixed that 3

I am getting better at typing for long periods on my phone. I used to just keep notes on here...but this is way more convenient than finding time to set at my computer. Google docs is amazing FYI. I can save then pick up wherever I am, on any computer. All I need to do is pop on my PC and upload it...for some reason doesn't let you do mobile uploads?

This chapter is longer than the last two (mostly because I had time to get on my computer).

I'm on a roll! I don't think this is the original direction I was going to take this story, but it is flowing out of me haha.

Thanks for the love 3

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><p>Cheetara frowned at her plate. There wasn't much left from the previous day's hunt, but it was enough for a decent sized dinner. The silence stretched on between the cats. There was no discussion their next move.<p>

For some reason Tygra wasn't looking at Panthro; and the tension between Lion-O and Tygra was almost too much for her. The King would occasionally glare across at Tygra, and Tygra didn't take his eyes off his plate. She was unsure if Lion-O knew Tygra heard him earlier or not...she was not sure which was the better scenario. Kit and Kat didn't know what had everyone in a sour mood, but kept to themselves. Cheetara was glad at least the kittens had some sense. She shook her head. She would have laughed at that if the situation wasn't so dire.

She glanced at Lion-O next to her. Like Tygra he had barely touched his food. She sighed, "I'm sure the kittens and Panthro would gladly take you two's food if you're not going to eat it."

Lion-O stood up. She had removed his cast before dinner and his movement was no longer restricted. "Yeah, sure. I'm going to bed; wake me for the second watch." He walked over to the tank and climbed in.

"I'm going to walk the perimeter." Tygra stood to leave as well, but Panthro stopped him with a paw on his shoulder.

"You had a long day with walking here from the last camp site. I have the first watch anyway, so you get some rest." Tygra moved to protest. Panthro smiled at him, "get some sleep. You and I will head out early to hunt." He raised a brow, questioning if Tygra was still up for it.

Tygra nodded, "we can leave at first light." He walked over to his sleeping mat and laid down.

Sleep eluded him at first. The events of the past days weighed on him. The numbness was beginning to fade and a deep, stabbing, pain was settling into his chest. He knew they were never close, but he always cared about Lion-O's well-being. Had it always one sided? He didn't think so. But maybe it was. He spent so much of his childhood pushing Lion-O to succeed at the very thing Tygra wanted above all else. And Lion-O threw it in his face over and over when they were growing up. No matter how many times Lion-O screwed up, he was still the only heir; what Tygra could never be. But he didn't resent Lion-O. He was jealous, sure.

A memory from the previous day surfaced. Why had his body reacted to Lion-O? He was his brother- and he resolved to confront Lion-O about what he heard him say. If he was being purely objective he could admit Lion-O was not bad looking. In fact, he had heard multiple cats express their desire for him. He cared for him deeply...was it a lack of intimacy? He signed, hopeful his arrangement with Panthro would help clear his head.

He frowned at the trees above him. If he strained he could see the stars twinkling between the leaves. Tygra realized he spent all his time analyzing his own thoughts and actions and never dwelled on Lion-O's own. Perhaps he had been ignoring the warning signs. Perhaps Lion-O did truly hate him. Had he ever thought of Tygra as his brother? When did he stop?

Cheetara relaxed when she was sure Tygra was asleep. Even with him and Panthro taking longer than expected, she had not thought of a way to ease the tension in the camp. She decided to leave it for tomorrow.

Her cleric training taught her to function with little sleep and to wake at the slightest sound. She awoke several hours later to Panthro retrieving Lion-O for his turn at watch. Usually Panthro slept in the tank with the kittens, but he came back out with a sleeping mat.

Lion-O regarded him. "Not sleeping in the tank?"

The cat shrugged. "I don't want to wake the kittens when Tygra and I get up to hunt." He laid down just a foot away from Tygra. Lion-O frowned at Tygra's sleeping form and left to take his post.

Cheetara raised an eyebrow at Panthro's choice of sleeping spots. He could have chosen anywhere and not disturbed anyone. But he laid next to Tygra. Perhaps... No...but maybe...

She wasn't naive. She knew it was only a matter of time before the group would seek out intimacy. She found herself longing for someone, anyone...for a while it seemed both Tygra and Lion-O were interested. One day she overheard Lion-O telling Tygra to back off. Yet he never made a move to expand their friendship into something more. She had hoped that was what Lion-O wished to speak about when he pulled her aside the previous day. Why was he waiting? Should she initiate it? It was her duty, technically. The thought of being with Lion-O didn't excite her...no, she had her eyes on Panthro.

If she was correct about the new nature of Tygra and Panthro's relationship, she hoped it helped Tygra heal. The glares Lion-O sent Tygra at dinner meant he had not cooled down. She feared what the young King would do if Tygra confronted him.

She sighed; there wasn't anything she could do now. Hopefully the morning would provide her with a fresh perspective.

* * *

><p>Tygra was instantly aware of the heat of another body near him. The sun was just starting to rise. He rolled over and found Panthro very close. He rubbed his face. This was not happening. He was clearly going to have to lay ground rules. This was a <em>physical<em> relationship only. He didn't want to explain to the kittens...or to Lion-O... And he definitely didn't want any emotional mix ups. His heart was already dealing with enough. He was caught staring when Panthro opened his eyes.

The older cat grinned. He sat up and stretched. "Let's get our gear." He was halfway across the camp before Tygra got up.

They ate a quick breakfast and before he knew it they were saying bye to Cheetara- did she ever sleep? - and Lion-O. Tygra tried not to look at him, but his willpower gave out. He braved a quick glance and was met with a fiery glare. Cheetara spoke up to diffuse the situation, "try to get enough game for a few days."

"Will do. We will set some traps around too." Panthro slung an arm over Tygra's shoulders. "Don't worry; Tygra is rusty, but I'll make sure we get the job done." Tygra doubted he was talking about hunting.

They planned to be out most of the day, unless they caught enough game. The others wouldn't suspect their other... activities.

After about a mile walk from camp they slowed down. "Let's set a trap here and...here. Its close enough to camp to be easy to check."

As they set the traps, Tygra decided to bring up his concerns. "I think we should lay some rules down…make sure we are on the same page."

Panthro laughed. "Of course. Let me guess: nothing in front of the others, we are free to be with others if the opportunity arises, and we alternate being on bottom."

"Brash and to the point as always."

They walked further south and came to a different stream from the one they visited the previous day. It would be nice to be able to clean up after...

Panthro didn't give him any warning and shoved him against a tree. He wasted no time winding his tongue into Tygra's mouth. Tygra moaned, he was expecting to take it slow...but that wasn't Panthro's style. He quickly found himself in the same position as the previous day: grinding against Panthro's thigh seeking release. He knew he wouldn't last long with an actual partner. He tried to quicken his thrusts, but Panthro pinned him tight to the tree and restricted his movements.

"So eager," Panthro whispered hoarsely into Tygra's ear. "Don't worry, I'll help you cum."

Tygra moaned at the sensation of his breath on his ear. "I- hh-" his breath hitched as Panthro raked a hand under his shirt.

"Hmm. Its been a while for me too." He thrust against Tygra to demonstrate his point.

He quickly unlaced both their pants and removed them. Tygra nearly flinched at the size of the member in front of him. Panthro was thick, and he clenched his cheeks thinking about it. Panthro sensed his hesitation and leaned into his ear. "Don't worry. I'll be gentle...but lets ease you into this."

Tygra wanted to object- who decided he would bottom first. However, Panthro gave a husky laugh and pushed him back into the tree. He was glad he had not removed his shirt; the bark was almost painfully digging into him even with it on.

Panthro knelt down and without warning took Tygra's whole length into his mouth. He had received oral before, countless times, but those partners had always been reserved. Panthro did not shy from his member and began to increase his pace. Tygra couldn't focus, it was almost too much. He threw his head against the tree. He felt himself nearing release and suddenly Panthro stopped.

Tygra let out a throaty whine at the loss of movement and opened his eyes. He tried to buck against Panthro, but two strong hands on his hips kept him in place. Panthro released him with one hand and ran two fingers over his leaking organ. His legs were nudged further apart. Before he registered what Panthro was doing, he felt a single finger push passed his entrance. He growled at the intrusion and ground his teeth. Panthro resumed his attention to his sex. He timed the thrust of his finger with his mouth at a slow pace. When he felt Tygra relax he inserted his second finger and worked them both in further.

He kept his ministrations slow, dragging out Tygra's pleasure. He thrust his fingers further. Tygra gasp as Panthro hit his sweet spot. Panthro quickened his pace, no longer worried about hurting Tygra.

After a few more moments Tygra placed a hand on Panthro's head, "I..m-" Panthro quickened and felt Tygra buck into his mouth, releasing his seed. He didn't remove his mouth or fingers until he felt Tygra sag above him.

Panthro sat back and Tygra sank to the ground. Tygra regained his senses and blinked at Panthro, "What about you?"

Panthro raised an eyebrow and nodded to Tygra's thigh. "I'm good." Tygra then realized Panthro had came on him. He had been using his other hand to pleasure himself...Tygra started to become hard again as he pictured it.

"Mmm. Save that for later. Lets get some meat...ha, get some food, before we get too distracted." He moved towards the stream and motioned for Tygra to follow him. They cleaned up quickly and redressed.

They got their bearings again, and set off to hunt.

* * *

><p>It was after lunch and Lion-O was pacing again. He had been doing it off and on since Tygra and Panthro left that morning. When Cheetara would catch him, she gave him a task. So far, he had cleaned out the inside of the tank, organized fresh three-day rations into everyone's emergency kits, and dug latrines (with the kitten's help). Cheetara was running out of ideas. She was not yet ready to have another heart-to-heart with Lion-O, but his pacing was starting to wear on her patience. "Why don't you and the kittens play a game?"<p>

Lion-O stopped and faced her. "Actually, I think I'll take a walk." He started walking out of the camp.

"That's not a good idea. We already have two out. If our camp is discovered, I may not be able to-"

Lion-O roared, "I wasn't asking permission!" He sighed and softened his voice, "I won't go far, or be long. I need to clear my head.

Cheetara could only nod and watched him walk away. The kittens were carving slingshots in the middle of camp. She smiled at them. The siblings got along so well. She hoped nothing would change that. Maybe that was the key to getting Lion-O and Tygra to get along again; make them remember their childhood. Maybe not. If there was something in their childhood that would help, she didn't know it.

She had a plan worked out to send Lion-O and Tygra to scout the slavers and get some intel. Either Lion-O would have to admit the risk was too great, or Tygra would empathize with the other cats. However, she couldn't be sure Lion-O wouldn't rush in to save the cats just to show up Tygra. The way things currently stood, she couldn't risk sending them on a scouting mission. She ran a hand over her face. That was the best plan she had.

Cheetara resolved to discuss it in private with Panthro and get his input. Although, Panthro had seemed oblivious the previous night. Hopefully Tygra had already confided in the older cat and she wouldn't have to fill him.

"Hey, Cheetara?" She looked up to find Wiley Kit standing in front of her. She didn't realize how deep in thought she was, she could have missed an ambush...

"Yes?"

"Shouldn't Lion-O be back? He's been gone nearly an hour.."

Cheetara frowned and cursed under her breath. She would never forgive herself if something happened to their King. "You and Kat grab your gear and stand at the perimeter. I'm going to go search for him."

She stood to retrieve her whip. There was a noise from the far end of camp, something moving quickly through the brush. She braced for a fight. The bushes parted to reveal Lion-O with a sour expression on his face. More than sour, he looked downright pissed off. She relaxed a bit, realizing there was no intruder.

Lion-O stalked off to the tank without acknowledging her or the kittens. She sighed. Letting him be alone with his thoughts was probably not a good thing.

There was more rustling in the direction Lion-O had come from. It was not as fast, but it was louder. She knew who it was before Panthro and Tygra emerged. They were both carrying large game and it seemed they also had some smaller game in their packs. It wasn't a stretch to figure out Lion-O had ran into them on his walk. She would not be surprised if that was his intention. She observed them as they moved closer to the center of camp where she was. Tygra's face was flushed. He and Lion-O wouldn't have fought in front of Panthro, would they?

She sighed again. "Kit, Kat, and I will clean those. You two should rest." Panthro thanked her and laid their game near their makeshift workbench.

Tygra was trying to look around the camp discreetly. She grit her teeth, those two were ridiculous. "He is in the tank."

Tygra stiffened at being caught and moved towards his sleeping mat. Panthro put a hand on his shoulder before he could get out of Cheetara's earshot. "You should go talk to him." Tygra flinched out of his grip and changed direction.

Panthro turned to Cheetara and raised an eyebrow. She just shook her head in response and set to work on cleaning the meat.

* * *

><p>Tygra grit his teeth when he reached the tank. He did NOT want to have this talk with his brot- with his NOT brother. He glanced back at the others. Panthro was already laying on his sleeping mat. The others were busy with skinning and gutting their game. That should keep them busy long enough to talk with Lion-O privately.<p>

He swallowed and climbed into the tank and made sure to secure the door behind him. There wasn't much room inside and he found Lion-O quickly. The younger cat was laying down on the back bench seat. He was facing away from him and had his knees slightly drawn up so he could fit. He didn't acknowledge Tygra's entrance.

Tygra sat in the chair across from the bench and swiveled it to face him. "Let's have a mature discussion between two adults."

He waited for Lion-O to respond. When it was clear the younger cat didn't plan on responding Tygra sighed. "Then I'm going to talk and you can listen." Okay, where did he start? Why not get right to the heart of it? "I heard what you said to Cheetara yesterday. Is that how you really feel? I-" He paused to steady his breath, "I don't want us to fight like this. I want us to be able to talk like we used to." He smiled at a thought. "Remember we were still kittens? One night there was a huge storm and you came into my room. You were afraid of the thunder and-"

"Shut UP!" Lion-O sat up and in one fluid motion pushed Tygra off his chair. "Why do you need to remind me of my failures? Even the ones I made as a kitten?"

"Lion-O! You didn't let me finish!" He pushed Lion-O back to the bench and held him there with hands on his shoulders. His voice was hoarse, "You came to ME for comfort. You could have gone to anyone- Dad, Jaga… But you came to ME. I was so...I was so happy you came to me. I was proud to be the big brother you looked up to. I put aside my own fear of the storm that night to help you...and you helped me too." He sighed and released his grip. "But that was a long time ago." He slumped back down into his chair and ran a hand over his face.

Tygra straightened and looked at Lion-O. The other cat was frowning. He could not believe he was having this conversation. "Lion-O...about what-"

"What about it?" He crossed his arms. "It is, what was it? Oh- 'un-prince like' to have a male lover?" He growled. "Or was that just your excuse back then to take ANOTHER cat from me?"

Tygra flushed again. He and Panthro had finished hunting and walked back to the stream. They decided to take a break since the game weighed several pounds each. One thing lead to another... He was giving Panthro Oral when Lion-O found them. He covered his face, it was embarrassing. "I am sorry about my actions in the past...but it was for your own good." He winced at how that sounded.

Lion-O leaned forward. "I cannot allow you and Panthro to continue this relationship."

Tygra started. Not continue? Was Lion-O so bitter about the past he would…

"The continuation of our species is our top priority."

"Lion-O...we weren't..._you know_...because we really _want _to. We just both needed release...and there is a lack of female companionship to be had lately…"

"Which will no longer be a problem once we free those Thundarian slaves." Lion-O stared hard at Tygra, daring him to challenge him.

"Lion-O...I…" He sighed. "If you truly think a rescue attempt is possible...Then I will help you." He was certain it would fail. But, it was clear Lion-O was going to do it, with or without him.

"I don't need your help." Lion-O opened up the tank's door and pointed out, signaling he wanted Tygra to leave.

Tygra, too tired to continue arguing, left. The door slammed behind him. He growled and walked over to his mat. He moved it several feet away from Panthro and laid down.

* * *

><p>More Angst to come…get your ant-acids ready. Next chapter will start the 'set up' for Tygra and Lion-O to stop being idiots. But they will keep being idiots a bit longer. Because I am mean like that.<p>

I have a list of fandom's on my profile that I'll take requests for. I think I am going to be finished with this one in a few chapters and want to start thinking about my next story. Feel free to send me a PM with a request (could be as simple as a pairing or as complex as you want). I really want to work on some shorter stories (1-2 chapter) to work on my writing style. ~3


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